Sindarov Finishes Third at Super Chess Classic Romania 2026

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbek chess player Javokhir Sindarov finished third at the Super Chess Classic Romania 2026 tournament, which concluded in Bucharest.

In the final round on 23 May, Sindarov, playing with the white pieces, drew against American grandmaster Wesley So. Before the game, both players had 4.5 points and still had chances to fight for first place, but the encounter ended without a decisive battle.

The game opened with the Berlin Defence. According to Chess.com, the critical moment came on move 16, when Wesley So needed to find an accurate continuation. The game later transitioned into an equal endgame. Sindarov held the bishop pair advantage, but was unable to convert it into a win.

At the end of the tournament, Sindarov and Wesley So shared third place, both scoring 7.5 Grand Chess Tour points and earning prize money of US$42,500 each. Including bonuses, the Uzbek player’s total earnings reached US$63,300. He also retained his place among the world’s top five players in the rankings.

The tournament was won by German grandmaster Vincent Keymer with 6 points. He received 13 Grand Chess Tour points and US$100,000 in prize money, which increased to US$131,000 including bonuses. Second place went to American grandmaster Fabiano Caruana.

Super Chess Classic Romania was held from 14 to 24 May and became the first of two classical tournaments in the 2026 Grand Chess Tour series. The event featured 10 players competing in a round-robin format.

Sindarov’s next tournament will be the UzChess Cup, scheduled to take place in Tashkent from 7 to 15 June.

Following the Romania stage, the Grand Chess Tour will continue with the Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia tournament in Zagreb from 29 June to 6 July. Another Uzbek representative, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, is also expected to participate.